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Mini‐Residency in Musculoskeletal Care: An Interprofessional, Mixed‐Methods Educational Initiative for Primary Care Providers
Author(s) -
Battistone Michael J.,
Barker Andrea M.,
Lawrence Phillip,
Grotzke Marissa P.,
Can Grant W.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
arthritis care and research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.032
H-Index - 163
eISSN - 2151-4658
pISSN - 2151-464X
DOI - 10.1002/acr.22644
Subject(s) - medicine , veterans affairs , salt lake , program evaluation , pilot program , family medicine , primary care , telephone interview , nursing , medical education , paleontology , social science , public administration , structural basin , sociology , political science , biology
Objective A structured educational effort to train primary care providers (PCPs) to perform joint injections has been projected to be cost effective. The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is developing a national continuing professional development program to train PCPs in the evaluation and management of patients with common musculoskeletal conditions. The objective of this pilot project was to confirm initial projections of cost effectiveness and to inform further efforts to develop this program on a national scale. Methods The Salt Lake City VA served as the national hub for this pilot project. The initial phase included 19 providers, who participated in a weeklong mixed‐methods course. Evaluation was conducted by the VA Employee Education System. Assessments included anonymous surveys, structured telephone interviews, and a review of de‐identified procedure codes. Results The survey response rate was 100%, with uniformly positive results. All participants recommended the expansion of this program. The mean number of joint injections performed each month increased from 0.3 (precourse) to 3.5 (postcourse), congruent with prior analyses projecting program cost effectiveness. Conclusion The musculoskeletal mini‐residency is a well‐received program, with early evidence of cost effectiveness and impact aligned with course objectives. This pilot program is a foundation for efforts in the national dissemination of this initiative.